The present disclosure relates to air separation systems for aircraft.
Air separation systems for aircraft typically separate air that has been cooled to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit (about 93 degrees Celsius). High temperature bleed air is fed into an air separation system at about 400 degrees Fahrenheit (about 204 degrees Celsius). The high temperature bleed air subsequently passes through a heat exchanger where the bleed air is cooled to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit (about 93 degrees Celsius), as performance of typical air separation modules declines at temperatures above 200 degrees Fahrenheit (about 93 degrees Celsius). The cooled bleed air can then pass through an ozone converter and a mechanical separator prior to entering one or more air separation modules. The air separation modules separate the cooled bleed air into nitrogen-enriched air and oxygen-enriched air. The oxygen-enriched air is typically vented overboard. The nitrogen-enriched air is used for inerting the fuel tanks of the aircraft.